It was found the man’s early guilty plea, his good prior record, his young age and his apparent remorse meant he was entitled to some mitigation in his sentence.

The judgment said his problematic alcohol and cannabis abuse, along with his history of bullying and a negative family experience, meant he had an elevated risk of offending.

“In our opinion, the sentence of three years' imprisonment imposed on count one was not merely lenient, it was manifestly inadequate,” it read.

“It is an inadequate reflection of the extremely serious circumstances in which the offence was committed and the negative effects that the commission of the offence has had upon the victim who was highly vulnerable.

“Even when all of the mitigating factors are taken into account, the sentence does not provide adequate punishment, denunciation or deterrence.”

The man was resentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, with a total effective sentence backdated to July 6, 2017.